


friends in need are friends indeed

by berrybliss



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: :"D, Cheerleading/Cheerdance AU, F/M, Jkjk, Kuroko being a smol bean, Kuroko no Basuke - Cheerdance AU, M/M, Momoi is a Kuroko fangirl basically, Ogiwara and Kagami banter, Seirin!Himuro, Seirin!Ogiwara, featuring protective squad GoM, if you have ogiwara and himuro as your best bros you are one lucky guy, kagami is our spirit animal when we meet new ppl //rolls around, tbh so is Kagami, that never fell apart, weird au, whatever goes your way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 17:44:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13980216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berrybliss/pseuds/berrybliss
Summary: Kagami quite literally changed sports just to get to talk to a certain blue-haired cheerdancer.Of course, that wasn’t the only reason. Kagami just wasn’t that desperate, despite how people painted him out to be.Or: The fic where Ogiwara and Himuro are wingmen.[Seirin High!Kagami x Teikou High School!Kuroko]





	friends in need are friends indeed

**Author's Note:**

> *It turns out cheerleading is very different in my country. I’m not even sure if what we have in our head is the same image, XDDD I just made the JICT co-ed instead of having a separate division for all-girls teams and co-ed teams.  
> Additionally, in my country, the most popular form of cheerleading is called _cheerdancing_. I was shocked to find out it wasn’t a term used in other countries. It’s equally bad-ass, and very much anticipated by the masses. This fic was born after I went to watch my classmates represent our school in a cheerdance competition and it was so fab I had to write one for knb. Not very fab in the fic, turns out, but I hope it’s still worth reading TTwTT  <3  
> Why did I decide to use "cheerdancing" instead? It was by the recommendation of a friend of mine whom I consulted. XD The terms are interchangeable tho, tbh, in the loose sense that it can be either a cheerleaders!au or a cheerdancers!au.  
> Pairings: Kagami Taiga/Kuroko Tetsuya. The rest are jokey pairings.  
> *Jokey pairings: GoMKuro, MomoKuro, HyuuRiko  
> Just wanted to put them here, in case they were NOTPs.  
> Enjoy! :)

“Look at that line though!”

It wasn’t an understatement, but it would be more correct to say _lines_ , because the Japan Interschool Cheerdance Tournament was heavily anticipated by people from all parts of the country. Of course, most of the audience for the Tokyo Regionals were from the Tokyo Prefecture, but there were also scouts from different colleges who came all the way just to watch. The representatives of different news stations were on standby at the gates, greeting the different teams that were filing in.

Tradition and prestige dictated that Teikou High School would host the Tokyo Division of the JICT. It still struck Kagami as amazing that the school had four gymnasiums. The last time he came, he would have gotten lost if it weren’t for the ushers.

That, and Teikou had taken the Japanese cheerdance  world by storm, dominating its own segment in the past few years and consistently placing in at least top three nationwide. Also in their favor was the fact that they had the Generation of Miracles in their cheerdance team, and other schools didn’t. They were said to have exceptionally flourished in their third year of middle school, and surprisingly, stuck together when they started high school like peas in a pod. No one who followed the cheerdance scene didn’t know their names, and everyone always seemed to want to know more about them.

Which, Kagami still didn’t buy that nickname as much as others did, but having seen their performance last year, he knew when credit was due.

“You don’t look like you got too much sleep.” Ogiwara Shigehiro remarked beside him, a hand casually placed above his shoulder.

“Say so for yourself.” Which was unusual, because Ogiwara was a heavy sleeper; but having that adrenaline rush the night before the competition wasn’t quite so unusual, and Ogiwara looked much better off than he did. It could mostly be owed to Ogiwara’s ability to smile contagiously and summon an inexhaustible source of energy that Kagami could use some of.

Ogiwara nudged him, taunting.

“We both know why you lost sleep, Kagami. Uh huh, uh huh.”

“I was just worried about Tatsuya, that’s all.” He said truthfully, “Kinda frustrated, but at least it isn’t a third year high school injury scenario, if you know what I mean.”

Ogiwara murmured in agreement. “Yeah, that’d be horrible. But get your head in the game, okay? Can’t have you distracted while performing,” He cackled, showing his teeth. Kagami whacked him at the back of his head.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Ogiwara exclaimed, making wheezing sounds. “BRAIN SEIZURE, BRAIN SEIZURE-“

“Yeah, you’ll live.”

They shared a good laugh about it. It removed a bit of the nerves. Ogiwara’s dramatic antics were always funny.

…

Had a year really passed since then?

* * *

 

_Teikou High School was a freaking big high school. It didn’t help that the comfort rooms in the gymnasium were occupied by some of the teams, and he couldn’t use them._

_Kagami was so relieved when he finally found someone who he could ask._

_“Uhh, ‘scuse me, sorry about this, but can I ask where the comfort room is?”_

_“Oh! That’s alright, don’t feel too bad, everyone gets lost here at some point. See that corridor?” The girl referred to the relatively long corridor that lay beside the door to what seemed to be a records office, “Go straight down that, and then turn right. You’ll know by the sign.”_

_“Thanks.”_

_“Welcome!” The girl went up the stairs._

_Shelves of trophies were lined at the corridors, though mostly for sports. Academic trophies, Kagami knew, were in the main building, which happened to be joined to the gymnasium through a roofed bridge of sorts._

_As promised, there was a sign for the male’s comfort room. When he entered, no one was there. He unbuckled his belt, thoughts going to how he had a basketball match coming soon-_

_His ears perked up. It was the sound of running water. After he was finished, he turned around and saw that there was someone else bent over the sink. It was then and there that Kagami realized how dimly lit the comfort room truly was, looking to be shades of grey, the white light giving the place an eerie glow._

_Noticeably, the other person wore the Teikou cheerdance outfit. He didn’t seem to acknowledge Kagami at first, as beads of water dribbled down from his chin._

_“Uhh…” He found himself saying that a lot these days._

_The blue haired boy looked at him, finally, with an expression of neither surprise nor contempt. If anything, he just stared, as he wiped his face with a towel. He seemed to be waiting for Kagami to say something._

_“Are you crying or…? Do I just…?” Kagami pointed at the door with his thumb. “I mean, it’s none of my business, but you know…”_

_The other person blinked. He had very big, doe-like eyes, something Kagami couldn’t say he saw very often._

_(Okay, so maybe he was cute, but that was beside the point. Kagami was genuinely concerned, and it was completely normal of him to blurt stuff out without thinking, but man, he wanted to wince for being so damn awkward)._

_Then there was a teensy weensy bit of a smile that surprised Kagami._

_“Do I know you?”_

_“A-ah, uh, nah, probably not… sorry about that.” Kagami scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, “It was wrong of me to assume.”_

_“It’s quite alright,” He replied lightly, “And you are?”_

_“Kagami Taiga, and… I don’t know your name.”_

_“It’s Kuroko. Kuroko Tetsuya. I suspect you’re not from our school, Kagami-kun.” He remarked, “I don’t think I’ve seen you before in campus grounds.”_

_“Yeah, that’s actually because I came to watch the regionals. I don’t think you need me to tell you good luck though, considering you are… well, Teikou. You’re part of Teikou, and that has to speak volumes - or at least, so my friends say.”_

_There was a moment of silence shared between them, before Kuroko decided to break it._

_“You talk funny, Kagami-kun.”_

_Kagami spluttered. “Wh-what?”_

_“I don’t mean it as a bad thing, of course.” Kuroko clarified just as quickly, “I just found it odd that you haven’t watched any of Teikou’s performances before.”_

_“Well, I watch cheerdance to support my bro. He’s in one of the competing schools. My school – Seirin High, you’ve heard of it, maybe - he’s in first year right now, so this is my first time actually watching a cheerdance competition.”_

_Kuroko’s eyes did light up in recognition at this point, upon hearing Seirin being mentioned. “Yes. My childhood friend studies there. He is also competing today.”_

_“Wait, really? Small world, then. You… don’t look like you got much sleep though. Are you sure you’ll be alright? My brother, he has this habit of overworking himself too so…”_

_“I am used to it, somewhat.” And there’s that smile again, and he seemed to be reassuring him. “… It is because of lack of sleep. I… thought about the competition and got over-excited. Akashi-kun gave me quite an earful this morning.” He seemed to summon an image in his mind, until Kagami broke him out of his reverie._

_“That’s like me with basketball!”_

_At this, Kuroko seemed genuinely and pleasantly surprised. “You play basketball, Kagami-kun?”_

_“Yeah, I mean, it’s no big deal, but I tend to get really hyped up about upcoming matches too, so… or at least, back then I was, yeah.”_

_The look in Kuroko’s eyes softened, as he slung his bag over his shoulder. “If you don’t mind me asking, what changed?”_

_“Well, I don’t know, it’s just…” Weird as it was, it was so easy to open up to this stranger, and he’d been majorly alone if his brother didn’t count in the company he usually had, but he felt that Kuroko would understand. And he seemed to. “In America, I was alone at first too, but basketball helped me open up to more people. Here, people kind of just stay away from me because I’m… better? It’s not anything to brag about, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t like that and I guess I’m okay with it, but I’m thinking of trying something other than basketball if this keeps up. Leaves a bitter aftertaste just thinking about it.”_

_All throughout, Kuroko had listened attentively. Kagami was glad that that was off of his shoulders. He looked at Kuroko, who was biting his lip, as if recalling something again. When he spoke again, it was slightly softer than before._

_“I’m sorry to hear that.”_

_“Nah, don’t be. Make sure to rest up after this though. I don’t want to hear about that one Teikou guy collapsing in the middle of the gym.”_

_A chuckle. “Only one of us collapsing is rather generous.”_

_It was a nice laugh. Kagami found himself grinning._

_“Sorry to have taken up your time like that, with my emotional baggage and all. It was nice meeting you, Kuroko.”_

_“It was nice meeting you too, Kagami-kun.”_

_And it wasn’t as if Kagami could have stayed, because after all that, he still probably was a stranger to one such Kuroko Tetsuya._

_True to his words, he tried something else the following year. Cheerdance._

_And it had welcomed him with open arms._

* * *

Upon entering the premises, they weren’t paid much notice, except for maybe Kiyoshi Teppei, who was their most well-known cheerdancer, one of the seniors and practically their leader. Having a history in cheerdance as a middleschooler in Shoei High, it was not surprising at all.

They headed to the locker rooms - and theirs were not too far into the corridor, with labels that said “Seirin High 1” and “Seirin High 2” respectively, one for males and one for females. Kagami was itching to get out there, and admittedly, it was going to be different to watch as one of the competitors, rather than as one of the spectators. One could even say Kagami was a fan of Teikou, except that they always lacked something in his eyes. Technique wise, synchronization wise, choreography wise, there was no question (though arguably, all teams were unique in the choreography aspect).

Before entering the locker rooms, Kagami spotted Midorima Shintarou standing by the door of the male Teikou locker room, observing their arrival as if to analyze. He looked away when he had his fill, and disappeared into the door behind him.

After changing into their clothes, they were given a brief by Teppei and Hyuga. Riko was present too – she probably already talked to the girls too.

“Just like we practiced, guys. Look out for each other.”

There was a joint “Osu!” from all of them.

“As long as we do our best, that’s fine.”

“But of course,” Riko said with a gleam in her eyes, “Aim for the gold. We practiced this hard after all.”

No one could forget the rigorous training sessions from the regimen formulated by Riko, but it was a sure thing that because of it, they stood just as much a chance as everyone else.

The girls were already waiting outside. As they walked out of the locker rooms, Teppei asked Kagami where Himuro was, concerned.

“Tatsuya’s already at the stands, Kiyoshi-senpai,” he said, and Teppei nodded. Himuro was very frustrated that he couldn’t “join in on the fun”, but it couldn’t be helped. His ankle was sprained pretty badly, and if they got into top two, they would still have to compete at nationals, which was five months away. Himuro couldn’t live with missing out on that, no more than he could missing out on regionals this time around.

Cheers erupted in the gymnasium, people showing their support. Seirin High fell in line alongside the other schools, squeezed in between entries 5 and 7. They would be the sixth to perform.

Teikou’s cheerdance team was nowhere to be seen for the first few minutes they were there, but they eventually came along. The cameras started flashing, and the Teikou students started their school cheer in their seats, clapping and stomping in sync. They were like an army, in that sense. They passed in front to line up at the other side of the gym, where they were the 12th of the entries. Leading them was Akashi Seijuurou, the renowned second year that was official leader of the Teikou cheerdance team. The rest of the Generation of Miracles were behind him, recognizable even from a distance with their taut build and, frankly, their ridiculous hair colours.

Not that Kagami was anyone to talk.

Teikou wasn’t the last one to arrive – in truth, it was Fukuda Sogo, led at the forefront by Haizaki Shogo. There were ugly rumors about him, and knowing the guy, Kagami couldn’t exactly say they were unbelievable. He wasn’t in the Teikou line-up the previous year, so it was obvious he didn’t… jive well with his former teammates.

With all the schools already assembled and the formalities over with, the contest proper began. Competing teams were assigned seats on one side of the gym, so it was a large group of seats basically housing people sporting all sorts of colors in the eyes of a random spectator.

Kagami tried hard not to be too obvious as his eyes scanned the area where Teikou was seated. They seemed to be talking among themselves, others fully concentrated on the performed routine. Eventually though, he did see Kuroko, who was watching the first team with his full attention. It was still hard to spot him, but if Kagami looked hard enough, it wasn’t impossible.

“Kagami-senpai notice meeeeeeeee-“

“I’m not your senpai, Ogiwara Shit-gehiro.”

“We’ll get to talk to Kuroko later, okay? I guarantee you. Then I’ll stop third-wheeling.”

Kagami’s eyes were trained to one of the liftings, but he averted his gaze to just face Ogiwara straight in the eye. “I still can’t believe you’re the childhood friend that Kuroko talked about. So how did the two of you get to know each other, exactly?”

“We were neighbors.” Ogiwara chipped, “I had to move out at some point, but we never lost touch. Fast forward to today, we both promised we’d face each other at the Regionals. Or maybe that did already happen last year, but hey, no harm in doing it again.”

“… You didn’t rat me out, did you?”

And Ogiwara looked genuinely scandalized. “Umm, no? I would never.” He held a hand to his chest. “Have more faith.”

Time flew by fast, and Kagami’s heartbeat was accelerating. When their school was called, they assembled at the place where they would make their entrance. The sound of familiar music started echoing through the gym. Kagami was fired up, and his other teammates seemed to be too, as they ran to the center in their red and black costumes – the colors of Seirin.

As they carried off a part of their routine, Kagami noticed how the other’s movements were more fluid and dynamic than usual. Not that he held back, either. It was amazing how practice paid off, and while this might not have been enough to beat Teikou, it was clear that they were all having fun while doing it. The beat of the drums told Kagami just what to do. 

When it was time for the pyramid, he made an effort to straighten his hold. It was only for a brief moment, but he imagined that it was Kuroko who was the one being propelled upwards, headfirst into midair and falling down again, into the catch of the others.

After their turn was done, Kagami’s arms ached from perhaps straining them a bit too much, having exaggerated some of the moves with more strength than he usually did. Riko seemed to approve.

“Good job, everyone.”

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to watching the other schools. Before long, it was Teikou’s turn, and the entire gym fell into a hush. Only one voice stood out in the silence.

“GO GET THEM, TETSU-KUN, EVERYONE!!!!!!!”

It was alarmingly loud. Kagami didn’t know how to react, because ‘Tetsu-kun’ obviously meant Kuroko.

Were they dating? He covered his mouth with his hand – maybe Kuroko didn’t even _like_ guys. But it wasn’t as if was hoping for something – ‘friends’ would be more than enough. It’d be horrible if he were crushing on someone who would never ever like him back though.

They kept quiet for the rest of the performance. Teikou was consistent in their performance level, as expected, and it ended with a double hitch pyramid, as they recited their school cheer, ending with the school motto.

To Kagami’s great surprise, it was Kuroko who spoke on top of the formation.

_“A hundred battles!”_

The others joined together with him, both cheerdancers and the Teikou students in the audience.

_“A hundred victories!”_

After they were done, Kagami voiced out his inner thoughts, watching Kuroko who ignored a high five from a blond haired boy – Kise Ryouta, if he recalled right. The said blond shed crocodile tears and mouthed something.

“Say, Ogiwara, is Kuroko even into guys?”

Ogiwara looked proud of his childhood friend, his expression brimming with pride as Teikou performed.

“If he weren’t, I’d tell you. You know that, right? This is the third time today you doubted me like this! Anyways, it’s no secret that he dated one of the Generation of Miracles in middle school and first year. He just never told me who.”

“Wait, what?!”

Riko slapped his shoulder from behind. “Pipe it down a little.”

“Okay, ma’am.”

Still, that was some news. “Who do you think it was?”

Ogiwara shrugged. “I don’t know – Akashi, maybe? He seems like Kuroko’s type. Student council president, gets amazing grades from what I heard, active in extracurricular activities, wins competitions even outside of cheerdance… yeah, pretty much.”

“And what kind of type is that?” Kagami asked dryly.

“Oh,” Ogiwara wiggled his eyebrows, “I heard Akashi-san could cook well too, despite being a bocchan. And he’s charming? He’s popular among both boys _and_ girls. He’s a winner. Hell, he’s even rich too, but hey, as if you aren’t. I am but a poor peasant, how should there be any difference between rich and richer? To me, you are all rich.”

 _“Anyway_ ,” Kagami coughed, “Thanks for the info, I guess.” He didn’t have enough on the Generation of Miracles to reach a verdict on who exactly Kuroko would date. Hell, he didn’t even know enough about Kuroko to reach a verdict in the first place.

“Things might look up for you, Kagami. For starters! You have the blood of the Americas [1], though that’s not helping much considering we never know what Akashi’s descent might be. Direct descendant of the Emperor of Japan, perhaps?” Ogiwara laughed. “And my Kuroko can get anyone in the Generation of Miracles if he wanted.”

“He’s not ‘your’ Kuroko.” Kagami pointed out.

“Well he’s not yours either, is he?” Ogiwara shot back playfully. He would actually voice out if he didn’t want Kagami to try out the thing, or if he simply didn’t like Kagami enough for Kuroko, but he’d lied. Kagami actually _did_ seem like Kuroko’s type. Not that Kagami needed to know that.

“I’m just kidding, Kagami. Chill, or I’ll text Himuro-san and tell him you’re being a dork again.”

“Whatever you say.”

* * *

 

“That’s another win for us, probably.” Aomine chugged on his water bottle, making sure to let everyone know how refreshing it was without reserve. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“It was a good performance.” Akashi said, finding truth in Aomine’s words. Everyone looked about ready to collapse into their seats, though some did look like they still had more stamina to burn. 

Kuroko found a smile tugging on his lips. He sat between Kise and Aomine. Momoi approached them and gave each of them a bottle of water, just like with Aomine.

“Thanks, Momocchi!”

“You were great there,” She said. They scooted over to have her sit beside Kise. “Tetsu-kun, Tetsu-kun,” she tottered excitedly, “Did you hear me? I made sure you would!”

“Yes,” Kuroko smiled, “I got the message loud and clear, Momoi-san. Thank you for always supporting us.”

“Yay! Don’t mention it.”

Akashi was talking to Momoi’s brother, their choreographer. Momoi Hakuto joined them sooner or later, patting Kuroko on the head. Kuroko usually hated it when people did that, but Hakuto was a senpai who meant no harm by it, and seemed to really have something encouraging to say.

It didn’t bear any insult about his height, thank you very much.

“We just _had_ to make use of that booming voice.” He laughed, “I think you got the message through loud and clear too. Good job, Kuroko-kun.”  

 “I’m glad, if that’s the case.” He truly hadn’t wanted to mess that up. He didn’t know what to say being met with such praise either, except “Thank you.”

“Ne, ne, Kurokocchi, don’t I get my high-five?”

 He held out his hand, feigning resignation. “You do now, Kise-kun.”  

Their hands made a satisfying smacking sound as they came into contact with each other.

“We might have a chance of going to the ICU World Championships next year, if we keep this up. It’s a shame they don’t accept younger than 18.” Kise said casually, adding, “Seirin High… they did better than expected, didn’t they?” He’d mentioned this school deliberately as a topic of conversation, because he’d meant to bring this up to Kuroko for a while now.

“Their resident redhead was looking at you, Kurokocchi. Has been for a while now. Did you know?”

Aomine pounded his fist on his open palm threateningly. “Is there anyone we need to punch today?”

“That cannot end well,” Kuroko deadpanned, “At the very least, we would be disqualified. Besides, I know Kagami-kun from a while back.”

“Oh, so his name’s _Kagami.”_   Aomine snickered. Kuroko bent and proceeded to prick his forehead. “Ow!”

“Awww, Dai-chan, need a booboo?”

“Shut up, Satsuki!” He pressed a hand to his forehead. “Wow, I think… I think it’s going to grow a bulk there. Ugh.”

“You’re overexaggerating again!”

“You have to tell us all about it later, Kurokocchi. So you’re… friends?”

“Acquaintances.”

“Hm,” Kise hummed, “I see.” He didn’t seem very convinced, but for Kuroko’s sake, he dropped it. There was plenty of time later though.

Fukuda Sogo was the last to perform, just like how they were the last to arrive, a sea of black and grey. Kise openly glared at Haizaki, and there was a certain tension that lingered around them, but it was an old wound. No one actually tried to rub salt on it, because they couldn’t care less about Haizaki.

There was never any attempt at sabotage after Teikou practically got him expelled for his actions, and he wound up in Fukuda Sogo instead.

“Those cornrows are still hilarious no matter how many times I look at them.”

For proper decorum’s sake, they tried hard not to giggle. Akashi looked at them pointedly, as if a parent observing a group of children – his children - and preventing them from wreaking havoc.

“We will have plenty of time for that after the victory party.”

* * *

 

It came as no surprise that Teikou were the champions. What was surprising was that Seirin won second place.

They made a spectacle of themselves by cheering and jumping, but it didn’t really matter. They went to receive their trophy and medals with smiles on their faces. They hadn’t really come in expecting second, and it meant that they were qualified for nationals, so it was a really big deal.

Someone dragged Himuro along too. With a big grin, he joined them for the picture taking.

“Once again, the 1st runner-up, Seirin High School!”  

There was applause all around them. Teppei urged for Riko and Hyuuga to hold the trophy together. They didn’t exactly disagree. Kagami thought to himself that the cheerdance club wouldn’t be the same without the third-years.

“And the champion of this year’s Japan Interschool Cheerdance Tournament, Tokyo Division is… Teikou High School!”

Whistles were heard, and Akashi took the trophy alongside Hakuto. Seirin all found themselves staring at Teikou, who looked straight ahead, though some curious faces did glance their way. Kise’s gaze seemed to linger around Kagami, and Kagami’s forked eyebrows scrunched up in response.

Kise walked away to join his teammates, immediately flashing a smile for the camera as he posed beside Murasakibara.

Some girls in their team swooned. Hell, it seemed like every single team had people swooning, both guys and girls.

“See you at the Nationals, everyone.” The commentator said.

The different teams were assembled in circles, and started going through both exits one by one. The people in the audience were starting to get up too. Seirin was still living in the moment of victory, when Ogiwara excused Kagami on his behalf and started dragging him towards where Teikou was situated.

“Kuroko--!!!!” He called rather conspicuously, uncaring of the stares they attracted. Kuroko turned to meet the source of the voice, knowing who it belonged to in the first place.

“Ogiwara-kun,” he greeted, as they shared a half embrace. “It’s good to see you.” They untangled themselves from each other, “Congratulations.”

“Yeah, I didn’t see it coming. Teikou did great as always. Oh yeah, Kagami here’s been looking for you for a while now. He wanted to come say hi.”

Now that he was face to face with Kuroko, he wasn’t entirely sure how to act. “Hey,” He said.

“It’s been a while, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko acknowledged with an appreciative nod of his head, “Well, this is a very welcome surprise. How has cheerdance been so far?”

“It’s been fun.” He grinned unabashedly, “I don’t regret it one bit.”

“And you had gotta hear the reason he switched from basketball to cheerdance!”

Kuroko looked at him expectantly. Ogiwara also noticed the fact that his friend wasn’t the least bit surprised that Kagami used to play basketball.

“Well, uh, I’m not gonna lie, it was getting stifling at the basketball team.” Kagami said.

“That can’t be all!” Ogiwara shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval. Kagami looked at him in disbelief.

 “Don’t make me say it.”

“Say what exactly, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko blinked.

“Err… this is awkward.” How would that even look to Kuroko? If he said, “ _I joined cheerdance for you”?_

He opted against it. It sounded too much like a pick-up line.

Kagami swore he’d turned beet red then and there, because Ogiwara seemed to be laughing. “I joined cheerdance to get a proper reason to talk to you again. Among many other reasons.”

“Huehuehueeeeeee,” Ogiwara exchanged glances between the two of them, “What do we have here?” He looked to see if Himuro was watching their exchange from afar, and he was, so Ogiwara winked, as if to signal _‘it’s going great!’._

“ _Your friend_ here,” Kagami jabbed Ogiwara, referring to him in particular, “Has been trying to put me in a difficult position, and I’m starting to wonder whose side he’s really on.”

“… And you waited a year for this, Kagami-kun?”

Kagami was kind of surprised that of all things to ask, he asked that. “Yeah,” He said, “I didn’t want to surprise you or anything.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.” Kuroko said, sounding like he genuinely meant it. Kagami felt like he was at a loss for words, or more like, he always seemed to be like that around Kuroko – rendered speechless, as Kuroko’s lips quirked up into an appreciative smile. “Do you want to exchange numbers?”

“Wait, really?” Kagami couldn’t conceal his excitement at this point. While his teeth didn’t show in his smile, it was his eyes that conveyed the message plenty enough. “Just give me a sec… wait, wha-“

Ogiwara made another signal, and within a moment’s notice, Himuro was at their side with a cheeky grin on his face, as he held out an object to his beloved brother.

“You looking for this, Taiga?”

And while Kagami was about to launch into a ‘brooooo’ monologue, he realized how his best friends for life were supportive in the best and worst possible way. He’d totally forgotten that his cellphone was in his bag, and it was creepy that Ogiwara knew he’d forget. Or was it Tatsuya?

He kind of just stood there, dumbfounded and forgetting to say thank you, as both Ogiwara and Himuro marched away with triumphant smiles on their faces, exchanging a fist bump.

 “So, where were we? Oh right, exchanging numbers.”

They typed in each other’s numbers and returned each other’s phones. Kagami wasn’t sure what to do with the number yet, but it was progress.

Thinking about it, Seirin and Teikou were two stations away from each other, and that was only if his geography hadn’t failed him.

“You don’t have to hold back with me, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko said, pocketing his phone. “I don’t bite, although I am not the most interesting person to talk to.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” _Wait, shit, not the part about biting, I mean the last part! Clear that god damn image out of your mind, Kagami Taiga. Should I tell him? No, maybe not…_

Kuroko tilted his head to the side. “That’s because you don’t know that yet.”

“Even if it is, which – I’m not saying it is – the same probably applies to me anyway.”

Kuroko chuckled. “I appreciate it, Kagami-kun. Good bye.”

“Bye Kuroko.”

As he watched Kuroko walk away and join his teammates, he was still caught up in the moment. Slowly, he turned around to see Himuro and Ogiwara shoot him thumbs ups.

“You guys are horrible.”

“Yes, Taiga, we know you love us.” Himuro gave him a meaningful look, “Just months ago, you would fanboy about-“

Kagami clamped his hand over Himuro’s mouth, muffling whatever words were about to come out. “I think you guys have had enough fun for a day. Thank you though. I appreciate it, sort of. You guys are the best, no wait-“ He held up his hand, then continuing with, “On second thought, nah, you guys are the absolute worst.”

“And the best at what we do!” Ogiwara smirked, “Thinking of getting Hyuga and Coach together before graduation.”

Kagami blinked at him. “Wait, they’re a thing?”

…

Himuro sighed. “I did not raise you to be so oblivious, Taiga.”         

Ogiwara patted Himuro with sympathy. “There there, it’s okay.”

* * *

 

** The Kurokocchi Protection Squad **

**Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9:32 P.M:** aTTentiON pEoPLE oF tHiS gROuP cHAT!!!!!

 **PinketteTM, 9:32 P.M:** Ohhhhhhhhhhhh hello, Ki-chan! (≧▽≦) What is it?

_Seen by everyone_

**Not Dad, 9:33 P.M:** Ryouta, have you done your homework yet?

 **Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9:33 P.M:** Akashicchi! You of all people should know how important this is!!!! 

 **Kyojin-kun (Foooooooood), 9:33 P.M:** Kise-chin, could it be… q(❂‿❂)p

 **Not Dad, 9:34 P.M:** @Yellow Ranger of Justice Of course I know. I am merely joking.

 **Oha-Asa Freak, 9:34 P.M:** So, what is this “important thing” you speak of? @Yellow Ranger of Justice

 **Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9:35 P.M:** I’m pretty sure Murasakibaracchi catches my drift. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT FORKED EYEBROWS GUY WHO’S HITTING ON KUROKOCCHI

 **Kyojin-kun (Foooooooood), 9:36 P.M:** Actually, I was thinking about you treating us to the convenience store again so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9: 37 P.M:** AHEM. Anyways.

 **Asian Jon Snow, 9:37 P.M:** tetsu’s not a kid anymore, kise – besides, he was admiring that dude’s muscles, did you not see????

 **PinketteTM, 9:37 P.M:** DAI-CHAN WHERE DID YOU COME FROM whoaaaAAAAA XDD

 **Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9: 37 P.M:** THOU DOTH KNOW HOW TO KILL A MAN, AND I THOT YOU KNEW NOTHING @Asian Jon Snow

 **Oha-Asa Freak, 9: 38 P.M:** … should I

 **Not Dad, 9:38 P.M:** No, things have taken an interesting turn. Leave them be. 

 **Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9: 38 P.M:** Anyways, it does not matter. I say this lowlife should not be anywhere near Kurokocchi! Besides, why won't he spare me a glance? uvu

 **Oha-Asa Freak, 9: 39 P.M:**  You are joking, right?

 **Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9: 39 P.M:** @Oha-Asa Freak no????

 **PinketteTM, 9:40 P.M:** While I usually agree with Ki-chan, I actually don’t this time.

 **Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9: 40 P.M:** IS THIS WHAT HEARTBREAK FEELS LIKE｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡ MOMOCCHI YOU TRAITOR!!!! 

 **Kyojin-kun (Foooooooood), 9:41 P.M:** Remember that rumor about Kuro-chin dating Aomine-chin? Lol, idk, I just remembered

 **PinketteTM, 9:41 P.M:** ONLY A RUMOR THOUGH HA (Ŏ艸Ŏ)

 **Asian Jon Snow, 9:41 P.M:** ………………

 **Asian Jon Snow, 9:42 P.M:** y’all r mean. I thought we were a team fhgkshldsf-

 **Yellow Ranger of Justice, 9: 42 P.M:** For that, Momocchi, you are on my good side again. Good job.

 **PinketteTM, 9:42 P.M** : //wink wink

_Asian Jon Snow changed Yellow Ranger of Justice to Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon_

**Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 9:43 P.M:** Thank you, I'm flattered.

_Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon changed Asian Jon Snow to Friendzone 5ever_

**Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, 9:44 P.M:** //WINK WINK

* * *

 

Omake:

“Okay, but seriously, I probably can cook better than him, anyway. No matter how you look at it, this Akashi’s just way too perfect for his own good. There has to be something.”

“I wouldn’t say that for sure, about the ‘cook better than him’ thing,” Ogiwara said, “Else, why would he get a perfect grade in Home Economics? Even you don’t get that, and you’re the best cook around here.”

Kagami pinched the bridge of his nose. “How do you even know this stuff?”

“I have my sources.”

And that in alone was suspicious. Still, Kagami decided to play along, because sure, why not.

“I don’t know how he got a perfect grade. The teacher had the hots for him and couldn’t fail him? The teacher has bad taste? He put a drug into the food that twisted the teacher’s mind? Bribery? I don’t know, it could be anything under the sun. You tell me it doesn’t sound believable.”

“You made my own lie grow faster than I did!”

Kagami: 1 - Ogiwara: 0

“Seriously though? _Drugging the food?”_

“What?!” Kagami held his hands up in defense, “My mind’s pretty wild, okay?”

**Author's Note:**

> THAT WAS LONGER THAN I EXPECTED HAHAHAHA  
> [1]- Kagami is of mixed race in this fic. Sometimes I imagine that his mom's American, while his father's Japanese (thus, the surname).  
> It's a headcanon of mine that Kuroko's booming voice is suited for stuff like that. It's kind of payback for how he didn't speak at that rooftop at Seirin in the anime and didn't make the ppl bow down to him ahaha jkjk XDD  
> But yes, awkward!Kagami is lolololololol tag yourself in this chapter (don't be shy, plenty of personalities to choose from)  
> Thank you for reading <3


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